JOHN WOOD FLEMING 1837-1919
John Wood Fleming is my great grandfather. He is truly a Port Phillip Pioneer. He was one of the first eight white children born in the new Port Phillip Colony, on the banks of the Yarra River, 150 meters east of where Princes Bridge was to be built. Records show his birth date was the 6th June 1837, but he always celebrated it on 1st June, the day of the first land sale in Melbourne. His life reflects the growth of the colony and he was forever proud to have a hand in helping the settlement, especially Brunswick, develop from bushland to the busy metropolis it had become by his death in April 1919 at aged 82.
John married Mary Watson Weir (1843-1920) in 1859. Mary arrived from Glasgow, Scotland in 1855 and was to live in Brunswick for the rest of her life. They had a family of 11 children, all brought up in Fleming House to become worthy citizens of Brunswick.
At 30 years old, John was elected to the Brunswick Borough Council in 1867, and remained a councillor until his death in 1919, with only six years break on and off. He was Mayor four times. In 1911 he celebrated his jubilee, the date taken from 1861 when he was elected to the Greensborough Roads Board. John took a great interest in planning, health and safety, represented the Council on the MMBW for years, planning water and drainage, gas and electrification, public transport, public parks, and instigated many celebrations and festivals, including designing a medal to commemorate Federation in 1901.
He was very patriotic to Australia, to the Queen and the British Empire. A staunch member of the Presbyterian Church of Brunswick, he was a trustee at 18 years old. At 34 years old, he was proud to be asked, to be the first president of the newly formed ANA-Australian Natives Association – an organization of native-born Australians formed as a health insurance club for all Australian natives (only white born- not aborigines). By then he had a high profile and was seen as a patriotic figurehead, well suited to advocate for Federation of the colonies, another aim of the organization.
Nineteen days after John was born Queen Victoria came to the throne. He often reminded people of this fact and celebrated his birthday every year while the Queen was celebrating her reign on the throne. He even wrote to the Queen to apprise her of this fact. He also proposed that the ANA write a congratulatory letter to the Queen, expressing the citizens’ loyalty, on the occasion of the 60th Diamond Celebrations of her reign in 1897.
John’s occupation was a farmer, who specialized in breeding an alderney milking stud, keeping extensive poultry flocks of every breed, as well as trotting horses, and stud greyhounds. He farmed at Mia Mia, the 15 acres at the western end of Union Street, and then on his own farm between Brunswick Road and Park Street west to the Moonee Ponds Creek. For all of his life he had belonged to the Royal Agricultural Society, since its inception, sometimes on the committee. He gradually handed the farm work over to his son and employees, becoming a gentleman farmer, freeing his time up for council and J.P. work.
John became a Justice of the Peace in 1868 and a magistrate on the Brunswick and Coburg Court in 1870, something he relished doing and spent more and more time engaged in. But his most public episodes were his arguments and accusations with council members which caused disturbances at council meetings. This, he said, was to keep councillors honest, the books balanced, and council actions moving along.
There are many stories of his actions, mostly positive, some detrimental and one melee resulting in the loss of his eye, later in life. However, his repeated re-elections to council showed his popularity.
His memory of past events was often recorded in the local newspapers. He prided himself on being one of the first white children born in Port Phillip, still alive in 1919.
Truly a Port Phillip Pioneer.
Later in 2021 his biography will be published, as the ‘Grand Old Man of Brunswick’. Contributed by Margaret Fleming – P.P.P.G. Member No. 679